Well, here we are again, another year, another multi-week flurry of posts, disappointed employers, spouses, and woefully neglected children.

We are definitely settling into a rhythm with the appropriate threads for the appropriate topics already in full swing...Pre-race threadMediaTorrent

At 56 pages the pre-rally thread is gaining a life of its own. This will be the full bore, no holds barred, F5irehose of information.

For the n00bs, this will be the firehose at full blast. Last year's thread went 976 pages, 14,634 posts, and nearly 1.1 million views...full speed ahead, buckle your seatbelts. Also, for a primer on following along, specifically on where to find and how to decipher some of the information on Dakar.com, check this thread.

Check the rider list below for links to their personal or team pages, many of which are updated with individual news.

Another great source is Twitter and Facebook althought Facebook may be tough if you haven't 'friended' many of the riders. A lot of the most timely information on a rider by rider basis hit's FB and Twitter pretty quickly.

For this viewing via mobile, I'll add shameless plugs for my feeds. I'll be doing my best to keep the @rallyraidreview twitter feed rolling with play by play and then daily wrap ups at the minimum via my blog RallyRaidReview.

NBCSports. NBC did a decent job last year and I expect the same again. East Coast US coverage looks to be starting at 2:30am EST on January 6th.

Also of course, Eurosport.com runs two updates daily, an interview update and then a stage/daily coverage show. Check either the media or torrent threads as those are the best sources for this information.

Eurosport always puts on some great pre-race content to whet your appetite. Check out the Destination Dakar and Roadbook videos on the Eurosport site.

SBS - Looks like coverage starts on the 6th with daily updates at 17:30 local time. (I am not sure of the time zones. )

ADVrider inmates and friends (This year I will only list true ADVriders since our list of riders we watch is getting too long. Best to just visit to entry list instead):Number links to Dakar page, name links to personal or team page if one exists.

Again, a special mention to all who follow and support the riders. Those who go without sleep, clean clothes, or showers and endure the bumpy roads and non-roads helping to keep the riders riding for our enjoyment. Thanks to you!

I'll also give special mention to Carlton Kirby and Ben Constanduros for excellent coverage and great looks inside the operation. For those that don't know, Carlton is the voice of the Eurosport Dakar coverage and, in my opinion, has done a great job the past few years in acknowledging the fans and responding to our questions. Ben is the man in the trailer that puts the daily shows together for the ASO and gave a fascinating insight last year via RallyRAIDio on how it's all done.

Last but not least is a big THANK YOU to Baldy without whom, this whole F5 phenomenon may never have spawned.

The Route:

Global Time Reference (Big Thanks to Flood)

Local time in Peru <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n131" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Chile and Argentina <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n51" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in London, UK <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n136" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Central Europe <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n37" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in the US: EST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n179" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in the US: CST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n104" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in the US: MST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n75" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in the US: PST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyrrzo/n224" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Australia: WST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyuogp/n196" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Australia: CST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyuogp/n72" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Australia: CDT <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyuogp/n5" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Australia: EST <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyuogp/n47" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Local time in Australia: EDT <iframe src="http://free.timeanddate.com/clock/i3fyuogp/n240" frameborder="0" width="82" height="18"></iframe>

Tomorrow morning, Dakar begins. For those who are there, Dakar is more than a 2 week event. It is a way of life- of going farther, faster, of never saying die, of pushing through. We live in a world that is too often reasonable, too often denatured and dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. Dakar is none of those things. It makes no apologies for drowning the dreams of half her suitors. But that's why we love it, because the feedback is honest.

For those who will start in the morning, the moment they go off the line is the culmination of a year (or more) of work. For months, there have been so many details to sweat, so much work to be done both on the race, and on paying for the race. All that ends tomorrow morning- whatever flaws you've come with, they are yours to the end. It's all over but the doing, and that's where the joy lives.

It's not just the individual experience, either. Being a part of Dakar means that for two weeks, you are surrounded by people who are just as committed as you. People who have rejected what is reasonable descend from all corners of the globe, and the atmosphere that results is charged with magic...

All of us at home get a little bit of that magic too. We get the chance to transcend ourselves for a short time, and that's what makes all the sacrifices of the race worthwhile. The world is watching, and we feed off the strength of those in the ring. We hope for the best for everyone, we wish everyone could finish, we respect their commitment, and we sit back and enjoy the show.

Hi F-5er's just checkin' in to say g'day and welcome everyone in this truly global community to the celebration, the festival... no... the "lifestyle" that is DAKAR. As our very cerebral and inimitable f5/ADVRider resident neduro (and others here who have been) can no doubt verify... once you've been to a DAKAR, you are a changed person... forever... it's something that permeates to the cellular level... almost spiritual (if you are into that sorta stuff ).

Here at ADVRider the collective DAKAR cyber consciousness that is the F5 f5irehouse and it's inmates have taken this "feeling" and spread it (almost virally ) around the globe... and while nothing can ever compare to "being there" what the ADVRider Racing forums Dakar coverage DOES achieve, is give you... the diehard internet cross country rally fans of the world the absolute best in real time information, coverage and banter on this the WORLDS single most all consuming annual motorsports happening!

There'll be Irritrack live timing links, mischa's excellent spreadsheets and statistics, there'll be PackMules RallyRadio interviews (you can taste the dust through the speakers), there'll be photo's, videos... anywhere an andriod goes (that was a left over from the Billy Joel song ) from people on site, colour commentary, insights, links, conjecture, theory, educated guesses and even rampant speculation all jumbled up in one relentless torrent of information... You WILL be tired, you WILL get lost, you WILL get passed by the sweeper truck and you WILL be there for the thrill of victory... all from the comfort of your keyboard at home. Virtual DAKAR - f5 style... THAT's how we roll here at ADVRider...

So sit back, strap yourselves in folks, it's gonna be a wild ride here for the next two weeks... some of us will make it... some of us won't... but like the meatspace DAKAR, all who are toughed by it, will be richer for the experience in some way (or just certifiable like the rest of us? :huh)

Yes inmates, here it is... comin' at you live by wire, uncorked and live real time at 1000 posts per hour...
it's the ADVRider - F5 VIRTUAL DAKAR 2013...!!!